EHL Name Change

It ' s not always easy to let go of the past Safe to say, most of us grew attached to the name École hôtelière de Lausanne Today, Inès Blal will explain why the transformation into ' EHL Hospitality Business School ' was necessary.

Hey, it ' s Springtime after all Out with the old , in with the new !

Interview with Inès Blal

The million - dollar question . Tell us why EHL changed its name to ‘ EHL Hospitality Business School ’?

IB: As you know, EHL started as a hospitality management school and it ' s been evolving ever since , with many of our students embarking into activities outside of the hotel and restaurant sectors upon graduating Little by little , recruiters recognized the need for the EHL graduates ' competencies outside hotel operations , so the type of employers recruiting our students became more varied The needs grew to demand more workforce in private events , management in luxury brands , investment banking , and a variety of functions outside the hotel industry.

Given this evolution , the board decided to change the school ’s name to reflect its current and future positioning And true to its mission to serve the employer with the best talent, we evolved our curriculum to strengthen the academic level of our customer - centric management courses

How many times have you tried to explain in a job interview that EHL is not a cooking school? With the name change and the mention of “business school”, our purpose is to settle this common misconception on behalf of our graduates.

What does this entail for the new activities EHL will embark on in the future ?

IB: Adding on to my above point, at the end of the day, we firmly stand behind being a hotel school . That ' s who we are in both history and positioning . We also train our learners with university- level academic capabilities , so we need to endorse that to remain true to what we are in the market

Given the skills required by employers and what they foresee necessary for the future , EHL is wellpositioned to cater to those needs Our graduates benefit from high academic and practice standards immersed in the service sector.

How will the name impact the Alumni community ?

IB: You tell me * laughs*. Our Alumni are key to EHL , so I always look forward to hearing from the community and collecting their valuable feedback . We are privileged to have a large and diverse community with Alumni as a backbone . My hope is that this change will support them in their professional path . For instance , hopefully, they won ' t have to explain that they are not there to serve coffee but to offer managerial expertise in service management ( to refer to an anecdote an Alumni once shared with me).

Will the name change keep EHL true to its core ?

IB: It must If we enter the business space without having a hospitality background we have little to no competitive edge Also , our community and EHL spirit are at the center of our core

Service , as we know, is becoming a key component of the GDP of many countries around the globe . And the design and execution of service - centered systems are more and more critical . Compared to other business schools , we bring this ground into practice , which is a key differentiator

What can the Alumni do to embrace these new values and continue being great EHL ambassadors ?

IB: I feel uneasy giving recommendations or advice to my fellow Alumni As mentioned , this unique community of diverse and driven persons constitutes the fundamentals of EHL They also inspire us through their different career choices and paths . I ’d rather ask for their feedback , suggestions , and recommendations . Our current and future projects need to be co - created together. This allows us to leverage our strengths

Beyond the brand and the infrastructure , EHL is people It is the sum of its learners , staff, faculty, and Alumni . We are a community and that is our core asset for us to develop and leverage .